Scaloni praises Burkina Faso despite 7-0 Argentina rout in controversial friendly

Argentina cruised to a 7–0 victory over Burkina Faso in a controversial friendly overshadowed by the African side’s extraordinary travel and squad problems. According to MARCA, Burkina Faso’s senior team reportedly refused to travel after issues surrounding flight arrangements and finances, leaving an Under-23 squad to make the trip.

The young team arrived in Buenos Aires just six hours before kick-off following an 11-hour flight from Casablanca. Argentina raced into a commanding lead, with Lautaro Martínez, Gianluca Prestianni, Nicolás Paz and Julián Álvarez among the scorers.

Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone completed the rout after the break. Despite the one-sided nature of the match, Lionel Scaloni praised Burkina Faso for making the trip, saying their effort “dignifies football” before Argentina turn their attention to Lionel Messi’s farewell against Benin.